Have you ever been around someone who makes you feel more wanted than your spouse, especially if that someone is an in-law?

Here’s my story...

My name’s Clara Nottingham, I’m 24, and I’ve been married to Bradley Williamson for nearly three years. Bradley and I have dated since senior year in high school through college. We both work, and I work four jobs. The main reason I have four jobs is that I want to save up and start my bakery.

Like every other marriage, ours had shown signs of strain, especially when Bradley decided to go back to school so he could get a better job. I had supported him financially and emotionally, though I had to dip into my bakery fund. When it came to sex, Bradley and I don’t have much of it since our honeymoon; when we do have sex, we’d have it every two months, and it would be over in five minutes or less.

One day, we got a call from Shane, Bradley’s father and my father-in-law, who wanted to stay with us for a couple of days while his house was under renovation. I looked forward to his visits, but Bradley not so much for some reason, which started a brief argument between us. Nevertheless, I was happy to see him when he came to our house; Shane was in his early 40s, did well for himself, and was healthy for a man his age. Things for a while had been peaceful between the three of us; Shane and I would be at the house after our workdays while Bradley was busy with work and school, we often enjoyed each other’s company.

On a Saturday night, I came home from a busy day at work. I had a hot relaxing bubble bath, put on my favorite pair of gray satin pajamas, and brushed my long hair. I relaxed on the full California king-size bed when Shane knocked on the bedroom door.

“Clara, can I come in?” Shane asked me.

“Sure, Shane.” I said to him.

“How was your day today?” He asked as he sat beside me on the bed.

“Busy, as usual, clocking in those full-time hours at the grocery store bakery and the coffeehouse. How was your day?” I replied.

“Always a busy day making sure everyone has a good night’s sleep.” Shane said, referring to his business, a mattress superstore, where I bought the mattresses for both bedrooms.

“Can I give you a massage while you tell me about your week?” He then offered.

“That would be nice. Thank you so much.” I replied as I put my hair up into a bun.

“You looked a little tense, especially in the neck and shoulders.” He said to me.

I felt the tension melt from my neck and shoulders from the touch of his large hands as I talked about my bakery dreams, my marriage to Bradley, and my busy work life.

“Can I confess something to you, Clara?” Shane had asked me.

“Of course, Shane.” I replied.

“It’s been a while since my divorce since I have enjoyed being with a woman.” He said to me.

Shane had referred to the divorce from his second wife, who he had been married to for a few years after his first wife/Bradley’s mom died from a terminal illness.

“But visiting you and Bradley does make me feel better. That and talking to you.” Shane had admitted.

“I’m glad you’re staying with us while your house is being renovated. But I couldn’t understand why Bradley would rather have you stay at a hotel. Lately, Bradley and I have been having many disagreements and not just about you staying with us. Last week, I mentioned going on a romantic weekend trip for the two of us, somewhere like the Caribbean or Napa Valley. But Bradley would rather wait till after he’s finished with graduate school. The only other trip we went on was to Santa Barbara, and that was on our honeymoon.” I said to Shane.

“Speaking of Bradley, I went to use the bathroom and I noticed a box of male enhancement pills in the medicine cabinet.” He said.

“Why would he need those pills in the first place?” I asked.

“I was wondering the same thing.” He replied.

“Clara, I’m just a little worried about you. I mean, you do so much for this house, your jobs, and your goals. But when was the last time you did something just for yourself?” Shane said to me as he massaged my shoulders.

“Shane, I work four full-time jobs, six days a week, and all while taking care of the house while Bradley is at school and his job. It’s not like I can get my hair and nails done or take trips to the spa every month. Plus, these silk pajamas are the softest and sexiest thing I ever bought.” I responded.

“Clara, do you have any plans for tomorrow?” Shane asked me.

“Just Sunday brunch with the girls, but other than that, nothing much.” I responded.

“My wife Erica, may she rest in peace, would have loved and adored you. She was beautiful, but she was a social butterfly, and she would always look out for everybody, Bradley and myself included. She loved her friends and family. She was well-liked at her job; she was a sales associate at a furniture store and continued working before getting terminally ill. I see a bit of her personality in you,” Shane said.

“I look forward to treating myself tomorrow. Thanks for the idea, Shane. Also, thank you for my massage.” I said to Shane with a smile after feeling relaxed.

“My pleasure, Clara. Don’t worry about dinner tomorrow. I’ll take care of it.” Shane said with a smile before leaving the bedroom.

The next day, I got up early and got ready for my Sunday out with the girls. I must say, it felt good to be out of the house and not worried about Bradley. After brunch, the girls and I went shopping at this shoe store that had just opened and also went to this lingerie shop.

After my day out, I came back home and was greeted with the warm, delightful scent coming from the kitchen.

“I’m home.” I announced as I entered the living room and put down my shopping bags.

“I look forward to hearing about your day. Dinner will be ready shortly.” Shane said as he walked into the living room and hugged me.

I got myself washed up in the bathroom and ready for the dinner Shane made. Bradley had gone to work and decided to go out with the guys afterward. So I joined Shane in the dining room and ate dinner with him. He made this delicious moist roasted chicken with broccoli and cheese casserole and a garden salad. We enjoyed dinner and each other’s company that night. Shane made sure to save a plate for Bradley.

“Usually, when I cook and Bradley ain’t here, I give his plates to the neighbors next door.” I said to Shane.

“So, how are plans for the bakery coming?” Shane asked me.

“I found a vacant brick-and-mortar building downtown on Main Street that is the perfect location for the building. It’s spacious with plenty of room for tables and chairs. There’s also an area that would make for a perfect kitchen. I plan on taking a look at the building this week while I’m still creating recipes and all.” I responded.

“I think it is wonderful to see you make your dream come true, all while taking care of the house and working four jobs. I just wish Bradley was as motivated and ambitious as you.” Shane said to me.

“Bradley’s doing the best he can since he’s going back to school and also applying for the management position at his job.” I replied.

“You’re right. “ Shane agreed.

After dinner, I then took out the dessert, a fruit salad with a honey-lime vinaigrette, which I made earlier from the fridge.

“This fruit salad is very delicious; I especially like that you add extra pineapple, and the vinaigrette is both sweet and zesty.” Shane complimented.

“Thank you, Shane. I made plenty, and I might use it as a topping for tarts or mini cheesecakes.” I replied.

“I have to admit that I wish I had gotten to know you a little sooner, being Bradley’s wife and all. This week would be the perfect time for us to bond.” He said.

“I’d like that very much.” I replied happily.

The following week was busy as usual; I had worked long hours at all four jobs on top of taking care of the house. Not only that, I looked into signing up for classes at a culinary college to get my baking and pastry arts degree, especially since I already had my business degree. In fact, I stopped by the college and picked up brochures and an application. One day, I came home after work, and I talked to Bradley about going to a culinary college. That had started another argument between the two of us because he wanted me to wait till next year. Still, I’m not waiting till he graduates school, whenever the hell that is, I wasn’t the type of person to wait for a while on something, especially when it comes to my ambitions.

One night. I had come home from a hectic day at work when Shane approached me at the front door with a worried look on his face.

“Shane, what’s wrong?” I asked him.

“Clara, I have to tell you something.” He said he took my hand, and we sat down on the loveseat together.

“I would never eavesdrop or get into your business, but I saw Bradley with another woman while you were at work. “ Shane said to me with concern in his voice.

“How do you know?” I had asked him.

“First, I heard noises from the bedroom before I noticed the opened bedroom door,” Shane said to me as we went to the bedroom.

There were clues all over the room; the dirty sheets, condom wrapper on the floor along with a pile of clothes, half a bottle of lube on the nightstand, and an open bottle of those male enhancement pills Shane had mentioned. I then looked through the drawer and found some plane tickets in an envelope, along with a little black book. The plane tickets were for Jamaica, and there was also a confirmation letter and receipt for a top-rated all-inclusive adult resort; the trip was for two weeks. Shane and I then went into the dining room and noticed that Bradley’s smartphone was on the table. A little notification beep came from his phone. While Shane looked at the little black book that looked more like a five-subject notebook with separators, I looked through Bradley’s phone using his passcode, which was his birthday. There were text messages about the Jamaica trip; a few of them were from his three best friends: Craig, Thorne, and Fred. Bradley had been best friends with Craig since middle school, while Thorne and Fred were his friends from private school.

“It seems that Bradley has been busy entertaining while you’re at work. He has profiles on several hookup websites. His status on these profiles is either single or divorced.” Shane said.

We looked through each dating website profile and the little black book; it made no sense for anyone to have a black book, especially married. Although Bradley’s little black book doubled as a ledger, it had names, phone numbers, money amounts, and items (some have present drawings indicating gifts either given or received). Then, Bradley’s cell phone dinged with a notification. It was a new text message, and it said, “I can’t wait for the trip, and thanks for one of the many bikinis you got me. Leslie-Anne.” The message is followed by a bikini picture, a white two-piece with a gold chain.

I looked up Leslie-Anne in the little black book; her name was on the first few pages, and under her name were the initials MSM meaning Main Sugar Mama. We read a list of things she bought for/received from Bradley; he’s been taking Leslie-Anne out on dates and buying her gifts while I was out working. Leslie was also giving him money for his monthly bills, and she bought his clothes.

“Shane, you’re quiet. Is something wrong?” I asked him.

“It’s Leslie-Anne.” He said to me.

“What about her?” I responded.

“She was my second wife and Bradley’s stepmother.” He admitted.

“What the hell!” I exclaimed.

“I was married to her for a few years after Erica’s passing, and then we had a no-fault divorce,” Shane said to me.

I listened to Shane as he explained the entire story: Bradley and Leslie-Anne met when he was a junior in high school, Leslie-Anne was the school guidance counselor at the time, they had a summer fling before Bradley went to college, she was his sexual first.

Leslie-Anne then changed from guidance counselor to a real estate agent; Shane and Leslie-Anne met while Bradley was away at college. They got engaged, Bradley found out and couldn’t accept it. He didn’t even show up at the wedding. They were married for a couple of years, he caught them in bed one night after work, and they agreed to a no-fault divorce.

This was a doozy; I was shocked, angry, and upset all at once. It’s not enough that my husband has an ex-stepmother as a sugar mama. He also has a little black book and profiles on many dating websites (some of them are sugar dating and cougar dating sites). The next time I saw Bradley was when he came home the following day, Shane helped me with breakfast, and I was getting ready for another busy day.

“So Bradley, what’s your day going to be like today?” I asked him.

He’d often say he’d be at work, school, both, or just going out with the guys.

“Busy day at work, then school, and going out with the guys. I’ll be home late, don’t wait up.” Bradley said as he walked out the door with his backpack.

“Clara, you just go about your day. I’ll do some investigating while I’m at work. See you on your lunch break.” Shane said.

That afternoon, Shane and I got together for lunch at a nearby sandwich shop on my lunch break. Shane then told me that Bradley had three jobs and got fired from all three of them. It made me wonder about what else my husband does when he’s not at work.

“I’m going to have to pay a visit to the college to see if he’s been keeping up with his schoolwork,” I said to Shane.

“Good idea, Clara. Also, make sure you document everything. I’ll call my divorce attorney in the morning and look for a private investigator who specializes in infidelity.” Shane replied.

The next couple of days before Bradley was to leave for his trip, I documented everything for the private investigator while Shane contacted his divorce lawyer about my pending case. I opened two bank accounts in my name only (one for personal and one for business), applied for culinary school, changed my life insurance, and also looked up housing post-divorce, among other things. Besides housework and multiple jobs, I kept myself busy baking and hosted bake sales anytime I had a Saturday or Sunday off. I often imagined my bakery to have a dual purpose as a bakery/coffeehouse/dessert cafe by day and a dessert bar by night; I also think up dessert and cocktail pairings, dessert cocktails, and boozy desserts.

I had a lot on my mind: divorcing Bradley, my bakery plans, work, a new house for myself while taking care of the current house. One Friday night after a busy day, I came home and got out of my work clothes; I just wanted to take a hot shower, eat dinner, and relax till I got sleepy. I admit that I get more pleasure from both the showerhead in the bathroom and any kind of food than my husband. I went into the bathroom, got undressed, and turned on the showerhead. I lathered up my naked, womanly body with my favorite body wash, the one with cocoa butter and shea butter, followed by a rinse, then rubbed my almond shower oil all over my wet body, and rinsed one last time before getting out of the shower. I wrapped a large towel around my body when Shane knocked on the bathroom door. He was wearing a fitted t-shirt with dark sweatpants because he, too, had just got out of work for the day.

I opened the door and said to him, “I’m done with my shower if you want to use it.”

“Clara, before I take my shower, would you mind if I put lotion on your legs?” Shane had asked me.

I grabbed my bottle of cocoa butter lotion, handed it to him, and replied, “I would love that.”

I sat down on the closed toilet and watched Shane rub the lotion on my legs. His hands worked their way up from my ankles to my thick upper thighs.

“You have a lovely set of legs, and you have beautiful skin.” Shane said to me.

“Thanks, maybe I should wear a very short skirt tomorrow just to show them off.” I smiled as I replied to his compliment.

The next day, I had breakfast with Shane and got myself ready for another busy day at work; He then said, “I hope you don’t mind. I packed your lunch.”

“Thanks, Shane. I’ll see you later tonight.” I said as I hugged him and got into my car.

That afternoon, I went into the breakroom at my office job and opened up the lunch Shane had made for me. Before eating my lunch, I found a note inside my lunch bag. When someone usually makes you lunch, they leave messages wishing you a good day or encouragement. Shane did that, but he also left a little extra on the back of the note.

I can’t wait to take care of you tonight. You deserve better, especially in the bedroom. I packed extra fruit for your lunch because I want you to taste sweet, though you’re sweet enough ;).

I put the note in my purse and continued to eat my lunch, which was very delicious. I blushed at the very thought that my father-in-law was trying to flirt with me; it made me think about my marriage to Bradley, I had loved and supported him in the four years we’ve been married, but after what I found out, I was ready to be done with him and throw away both rings. Not only do I deserve better in everything, but I also deserve more when it also comes to pleasure. I deserve more than five-minute quickies two times a month and 4 A.M. crying sessions. I deserve more than four jobs because extra hours make for extra money (which could come in handy since I’m about to enter divorce). I deserve a successful business since I already got a business degree. I especially deserve a few vacations when I need to de-stress.

That night, I came home to find the living room dark except for a couple of lit candles and slow music playing in the background. The living room table had bottles of massage oil, the cooler filled with ice and drinks, towels, pillows, and white sheets on the living room carpet.

“I’m home!” I happily shouted.

Shane came into the living room and greeted me with a warm hug, “Welcome home, Clara. How was your day?”

“Busy as always, thank you so much for my lunch and the note!” I said to him.

“So glad you enjoyed it. I wanted to do something special for you.” He replied.

Shane had on a dark blue tank top and matching dark blue sweatpants, both of which showed off his toned arms and healthy skin. Although he’s older than me by twenty years and my husband’s father, he was giving me Sting meets David Beckham vibes.